Global Industry Overview: Soaps and Detergents
Industry manufacturers formulate personal and laundry soaps, synthetic organic detergents, inorganic alkaline detergents, and related compounds. The soap category includes granulated, liquid, cake, flaked, and chip soap; textile soap; scouring and washing compounds; and dishwashing compounds and presoaks. Manufacturers of shampoos and shaving preparations are discussed separately under Toiletries and Cosmetics.
Industry Snapshot
Following a trend begun in the late 1990s, the middle years of the twenty-first century's first decade saw the global soap and detergent industry face tight competition in established markets and shift its focus to Asia, Eastern Europe, and...